


My Spark for You

by nightlight9



Series: Sterek Week 2020 [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Cozy Comfort Sterek Week Theme, Getting Together, M/M, Snow Storms, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Sterek Week 2020, Sterekcozy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightlight9/pseuds/nightlight9
Summary: Stepping over the threshold, Stiles takes a deep breath. He may not be a werewolf, but the smell of Derek’s house is still overwhelming. Everything is warm inside, a perfect contrast to the cold chill outside. He's so happy to be home.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Sterek Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985272
Comments: 24
Kudos: 259





	My Spark for You

Driving across the town lines into Beacon Hills, Stiles feels as though a weight is lifted from his shoulders. He likes school, don’t get him wrong, and leaving to study in Washington was definitely the right move. But Beacon Hills is where his home is, his pack, and his family. He doesn’t have to worry about them like he used too (his first year of college was a nightmare), but he still feels better when he’s where he belongs. 

Ash says that it’s because he belongs to the land here. But Stiles knows better. After all, he might not be a werewolf but he knows a lot about magic and anchors. And his is here. 

His is the reason that, instead of driving to his father’s house or stopping by to see Scott first thing he directs his car towards the preserve where a sprawling two story house is sitting alone in the trees, brightly lit and welcoming. 

Pulling up to Derek’s, Stiles takes a moment and allows the energy of the area to comfort him. There is heavy spell work here protecting the house with Stiles’ signature on it, and the magic warms when Stiles focuses on it and reenforces it. 

The last time that Stiles was in town, Derek was visiting Cora’s pack so Stiles wasn’t able to see him. He had still stopped by the house to check on his wards, but the energy now, when the alpha is home, is much different. Warmer. Safer. 

_Home_ , his magic whispers under his skin.

It’s that thought that has Stiles pushing his door open, grabbing the bag from the passenger seat, and moving to the front door. Before he gets to the porch, Derek is already opening the door. After months of not seeing him, the sight of him backlit by the warm light inside wearing a soft green sweater and a softer smile makes Stiles trip up the stairs. 

Gods, how Stiles missed him. He had known that, of course. But it is always a little overwhelming when he sees Derek for the first time after being away from him. It’s probably a little pathetic that he reacts like this, but he can’t help it. And honestly, it doesn’t really bother him. He’s just happy to be here.

“I didn’t expect to see you today,” Derek says, voice soft as Stiles comes to stand in front of him. “Did you just get into town?”

Stiles nods. “Yeah. I-. I was hoping I could stay? I mean, you weren’t in town the last time I was, and it’s getting kind of late.” It isn’t. Sunlight still lingers on the horizon. And he’s only 15 minutes from his fathers house, so his reasoning definitely falls short. But Derek just smiles a little more and opens the door wider. 

“Come in, Stiles. You know you don’t have to ask.”

That’s true. When Derek was building the house, he made sure that everyone had their own room, their own space. Then, when it was finished, he gave them all a copy of the key and made them promise to use it whenever they wanted. It’s the pack house. And the doors are always open to them. 

But Stiles still likes to ask. Even though he knows that at least a part of the house is his, it’s still Derek’s space. And he never wants to overstep Derek’s boundaries. 

Stepping over the threshold, Stiles takes a deep breath. He may not be a werewolf, but the smell of Derek’s house is still overwhelming. Everything is warm inside, a perfect contrast to the cold chill outside, courtesy of a group of pixies who didn’t appreciate California’s endless warm weather. It’s not snowing, but Stiles thinks that it’s only a matter of time before the storm blows in. 

Stiles suggested that they chase the pixies out of the woods, but Derek didn’t think that was wise. The preserve had been the home of many different types of supernatural beings when his mother was alive. And now that the Hale pack was back, the magic was returning. He didn’t want to disrupt that by being territorial. Instead they had compromised. The pixies were allowed to stay in the woods and bring a cold front into town so long as the snow only lasted the winter months and it didn’t get out of control. Beacon Hills is going to see its first white Christmas in years because of it, and Stiles can’t say that he’s too mad about it. 

“Stiles?” It’s not the first time that Derek has said his name if the small frown pulling at his lips is any indication, but it’s the first time that Stiles has heard him. 

He flushes. “Sorry. It was a long drive.”

“Are you going to go right to bed?” 

He shakes his head. It’s true, he is tired. But he wants to spend some more time with Derek. He’s not ready for sleep yet. 

“Have you eaten?”

“I stopped on the way in and had a burger.”

Derek hums and leads him to the kitchen anyway, where he makes them both a grilled cheese. Stiles isn’t really hungry, but he accepts the plate regardless, knowing that Derek feels the need to provide for his pack member now that he’s back in town. They’ve talked about it before, the drive to provide and protect that Derek feels as the alpha, and Stiles isn’t going to turn him down.

Besides, he makes a really good grilled cheese, and Stiles is not one to turn away free food. 

They take their snacks into the living room, settling onto the oversized couches there to eat. There’s a movie playing on the tv, but neither of them pay attention to it. Instead, Derek fills Stiles in on what’s been going on in town and Stiles tells him about his classes and how his finals went. It’s nice, just being able to sit together and talk. When he’s finished eating, Stiles pulls a blanket off the back of the couch and wraps himself up, throwing his legs up on the couch to get more comfortable.

Derek lets him rest his feet in his lap without complaining. In fact, he brings one hand up and rests it over Stiles’ ankle, gently messaging the skin there.

“Are you looking forward to your last semester?”

Stiles shrugs, trying not to get too distracted by the gentle movement of Derek’s thumb against his skin. “Yeah, I think so. Don’t get me wrong, I like being at school. The classes are interesting and I like learning new things. But it will be nice to be done with it.”

Derek bites at his lips, considering his next words. He looks uncharacteristically nervous. “Are you going to come back to Beacon Hills after you graduate?”

Stiles startles. “Of course.” He didn’t even know that was a question. He thought that everyone knew he would be back here, especially Derek. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Derek shrugs, pressing his thumb harder against Stiles’ ankle. “I know that you had been planning on coming back here, but plans change. You’ll have you degree. You could go anywhere.”

“Derek, I don’t want to go anywhere else. Why would you think I would? The pack is here. My family is here.”

“And we will still be here. But-. I don’t want you to feel trapped by Beacon Hills.”

That makes him groan. “Gods, have you been talking to my father?”

“Of course I have, Stiles. We’re friends.” He actually sounds like he’s offended that Stiles thinks they haven’t been talking. But that isn’t what Stiles is saying, and Derek knows that. “I just want you to know that I wouldn’t force you to come back here.”

“Is that what he thinks you’re doing?”

“No!” He rubs his face, pushing the palm of his hand against his eye. “I’m not saying this right. Just-.” Sighing, he drops his hand and turns to look Stiles in the eyes. “The pack will support you, wherever you go. This isn’t about your dad. This is about you living your own life. I just want you to be happy.”

“As my alpha?”

“As your friend. As someone who cares about you. And yes, as your alpha. I want you to be happy.”

Stiles smiles, curling the blanket around him tighter. “Derek, I am happy. Being in Beacon Hills makes me happy. I know that Dad’s worried. And I know that you are too. But this is the place I belong. Being in Beacon Hills with the pack and with you, this is where I want to be. And if you don’t believe me, call Ash. If anyone knows how much I love Beacon Hills, it’s definitely him.” 

Derek clears his throat, a faint blush appearing on the tips of his ears. “I uh. I have talked to Ash, actually.” Stiles narrows his eyes. “What? He called to let me know how your lessons are going.”

“Because he didn’t trust me enough to tell you myself?”

“No. He was being polite. I’m your alpha and he’s a mage teaching you magic outside of our territory. He was just following proper protocol.”

Stiles grumbles, but supposes that he can’t be too upset about it. It feels weird, knowing that they’ve talked about him without his knowledge. But he understands it at the same time.

“Well then you know how I feel about being here.”

Derek growls. “I just want to make sure that you’re making the choice yourself, of your own free will.”

“Why won’t you let his go?” Stiles pulls his feet out of Derek’s lap, tucking them under his butt so that he can sit up straighter. “What did Ash tell you?”

Deflating, Derek stares at the small reindeer stature sitting on one of his bookshelves. When they were decorating the new house, it had been the only piece of decor that Lydia approved of that Stiles picked out. Admittedly Stiles was definitely not cut out to be an interior designer. He’s kind of proud that at least something he picked out actually ended up in the house. “We can talk about this later. You should get some rest.”

Stiles snorts. “Oh no. You’re not getting out of this now. What did Ash tell you?”

“A Spark’s magic is different than a mage’s,” Derek says reluctantly, the words choppy. “It comes from the Spark itself, not from an outside source. But you can enhance your own energy and draw more power from the land.”

“I don’t need a lesson in magical theory, Derek. What is this about?”

He growls again. “I’m getting there, okay. Just-. Give me a second.” Stiles waves Derek on. “You’re a powerful Spark on your own, and your connection with the Nemeton makes you even stronger. But you’re also bound.”

“Bound?” He can guess where this is going now, but he wants to hear Derek say it so that he knows exactly how to build his counter argument. 

“Your magic is caught up here. It’s tied to Beacon Hills and-. It’s tied to me.” He ducks his head. “Before you knew how to control it, your magic needed an anchor, so to speak. As the alpha, I was a viable option to act as that anchor. And it helped you keep control while you finished high school and we dealt with everything thrown our way. But now-.” He takes a deep breath. “Now it’s holding you back. I don’t want to be the reason that you get trapped here when you can do so much more.”

Reaching across the couch, Stiles presses his hand against Derek’s throat, humming when Derek allows it. “Ash is a great teacher. He’s patient and wicked smart. But he’s also an idiot.” Finally Derek meets his gaze again. “You’re right; a Spark’s magic is different from a mage’s. Our power is inherently our own. However, when we make connections with outside sources like the land or a pack, we become stronger. You’re looking at it like a chain, binding me here. But it’s not. My connection with the Nemeton and with you is like a river. We share each other’s power, not hinder it. An ebb and flow A give and take. That’s not a bad thing, it’s how power should be shared. And yes, you are my anchor.” He squeezes Derek’s neck gently. “Since when is that a bad thing? Anchors are good. They’re necessary. And I wouldn’t want it any other way, Derek.”

Derek’s lips part on an exhale, showing just the tips of his bunny teeth that Stiles loves so much. 

The thought hits him like a train. This is more than just caring about his alpha or crushing on his friend, which are things that he already knew were true. No, this is more than that. He _loves_ Derek. Sitting here, curled up in a blanket in the pack house talking about the future, this is where he wants to be. 

He takes it back. Ash isn’t an idiot. He’s way too smart. He knew that this was not a conversation that they were going to have on their own. So he took matters into his own hands and called to let Derek know, in his own way, exactly how Stiles felt, leaving it open-ended enough that they would have to talk about it so that Stiles would have to admit his feelings. 

The conversation that they had before Stiles left, when Ash smiled at him in a mischievous way and told him to have fun with his alpha makes so much more sense now. Stiles thought he was just teasing him. Gods, what an asshole. 

“Stiles?” Derek’s moved closer to him, close enough that Stiles can feel his breath on his face. His hand is still pressed against Derek’s neck. He shifts just enough that he can tuck his fingers in Derek’s hair.

“We’re both dumb,” he says softly, watching the way that Derek is watching his mouth. “You’ve been worried that I was staying here against my will, and I never thought that you would want me like this.”

Derek laughs, a bright sound. He brings one hand up to curl around Stiles’ waist. “Maybe. But we’re here now, aren’t we?”

“Just so we’re absolutely on the same page, I choose to be here because I want to be.” He wants to make sure that there are no questions. 

“And I want you to be,” Derek agrees, moving so that their lips nearly brush together as he talks.

“Good.” Stiles licks his lips, tongue brushing slightly over Derek’s when he does. He closes his eyes. “Good.”

At the last minute, right before they kiss, Derek turns his head to the side, nose pressing against Stiles’ cheek. “Stiles, it’s snowing,” he whispers. 

Stiles groans. He likes the snow, but right now it’s the last thing he cares about.

“Stiles, look.”

With a dramatic sigh, Stiles pulls away from Derek and opens his eyes. “Fine, you want to go to the window and see-.”

He stops. Derek is right. It is snowing. But not outside. “What the hell?” 

Fat snow flakes cascade to the ground around them, covering the couch and table with a thin layer of snow. “Did I do that?”

Derek laughs, circling his arms around Stiles’ waist so that they tumble down against the couch together, Stiles resting on Derek’s chest. “I’m pretty sure you did.”

Stiles pushes against Derek’s chest, eyes wide and frantic. “How do I make it stop? Derek, I don’t know what I-.” Tugging him closer, Derek connects their lips together, humming when Stiles automatically melts against him. Kissing Derek feels like the best kind of power surge. Stiles feels like he’s floating. He’s lightheaded and so warm he could burst to flames. 

Worried that he might actually do that, Stiles pulls away from the kiss and looks around the living room. It’s still snowing, but luckily there are no flames to be seen and they are still firmly on the couch. Convinced that his magic isn’t going to do anything else crazy, Stiles leans down and kisses Derek again. 

When Derek leads him upstairs to bed, Stiles knows without a doubt that this is where he wants to be. Derek is his anchor and his alpha and his home. And he’s happy that he gets to stay. 

—————

In the morning, Stiles has to swallow his pride and call Ash to figure out how to stop the snow storm still raging in the living room. His mentor laughs for years, but Derek presses against his back in a comforting way. They eventually get the snow to stop, and things are good.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Sterek Week 2020 day two for the theme 'cozy comfort.'


End file.
